Portable pump assembly



Aug- 10, 1955 R. HoLLls ETAL. ''plm PORTABLE PUMP ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. l5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l my le! 1 r ee, e/ @www Aug- 10, 1955 R. HOLLIS ETAL 3-,99945 PORTABLE PUMP ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. l5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

United States Patent C 3,199,745 PORTABLE PUMP ASSEMBLY Raymond Hollis, Parla Ridge, and Earl E. Scheibe, Northbrook, lli., assignors to Graymiils Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of lliinois Filed Feb. 15, i963, Ser. No. 258,756 Claims. (Cl. 222-324) The present invention relates to portable motor-driven pumping assemblies of the type shown in Gray Patent 2,432,004, and more particularly to such assemblies wherein the motor may be readily connected and disconnected from the pump mechanism. Although the present invention is particularly applicable for use in the printing industry where pumps are needed to supply ink to the presses for use, it can be understood that the invention is also useful wherever a sump contains fluid to be pumped and it is impractical or otherwise not feasible to clean the fluid each time the uid is to be changed.

As presently practiced, in the printing industry when the color of the ink vbeing fed to a printing press is to be changed, a separate ink container and pump assembly must be brought in for use. Each such container and pump assembly includes as a unit a container, a pump and a drive motor. With this type of construction, changing of the container requires changing of the pump assembly on each color change. Otherwise on each color change, the pump would have to be cleaned with solvent to remove all of the old color ink prior to using the pump with the new color. When a pump assembly of this type is to be cleaned, the pump container must first be fully emptied, after which the motor must be removed to allow the pump to be treated with suitable solvent for cleaning. lf the motor is not disconnected and removed from proximity to the solvent, the motor bearings must be effectively shielded from contact with the solvent and its fumes due to the corrosive effect of the solvent. If the printing press is allowed to remain idle during this lengthy changeover, the time consumed during the changeover greatly increases the down time of the expensive printing presses now in use.

The present invention therefore has as an object to provide a pump assembly construction in which the drive motor for the pump can readily be connected to or disconnected from the pump without the necessity of use of any tools.

it is another object of the invention to provide a readily mountable and dismountable pump and motor assembly which allows a single motor to be used interchanveably ywith a number of pump assemblies.

The invention has as a further object to provide a simple and inexpensive coupling for joining the motor to the pump assembly which allows the motor to be removed readily from the pump assembly and which requires little adjustment and alignment for edecting the connection of the motor to the pump assembly.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a pump assembly in which the coupling of the motor shaft to the pump shaft automatically positions a guard member to protect the motor and its bearings from contamination by solvent fumes and by ink spattered by the pump action.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a portable pump assembly in which there is provided a readily disconnectible motor coupling which is adapted to receive a handled carrying member and pump shaft protector on removal of the motor. This carrying member allows the pump assembly to be carried about readily as required.

To edect these and other objects, the present invention utilizes a pump assembly in which the pump is suspended 3,199,745 Patented Aug. 10, 1965 ice from the lid of the container in which the fluid being pumped is stored. The pump has a drive shaft which extends through the container l-id for connection to the drive motor. The motor is mounted on the lid on a base which is secured to the lid in a permanent manner. The base has manually manipulatable connecting members for effecting the motor mounting in a manner allowing the motor to be disconnected without the need of any tools.

The motor shaft is a hollow tube through which the pump shaft protrudes for coupling to the motor at a point above the motor. This coupling is completed by the use of a manually tightenable cap nut which locks an upper threaded and flatted end of the pump shaft to the motor shaft through an intermediate member flatted to received the iiatted shaft end and dogged for connection to the motor shaft, in a manner allowing coupling and decoupling of the shafts without the use of tools. ln addition, this shaft coupling is inexpensive, takes up little valuable space below the moto-r and requires no bearings other than those used in the motor itself.

In assembling the motor on the pump assembly, the tightening of the shaft coupling serves to automatically raw a deflection plate carried by the pump shaft into a position adjacent to the bottom of the motor hollow lshaft to shield the motor and it-s bearings from the intrusion of contaminants, and for the diffusion of vapors.

These and other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FEGURE l is a side elevational view partly sectioned of the pump assembly of the invention in its fully assembled condition;

FGURE 2 is an exploded View of the upper end of the motor and the upper shaft coupling as used herein;

VEIGURE 3 is a sectional View of the lower connection `of the motor to the pump assembly in the disconnected state;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view partially sectioned of the pump assembly with the carrying handle and shaft protector mounted to the assembly in place of the drive motor;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the pump assembly and motor mounting base; and

FGURE 6 is a side section-al view of the pump assembly .and motor connection revolved from the showing of FlGURE 3, with the motor shown in side elevation to simplify the showing.

Continuing with the drawings and more particularly FIGURE l, there is shown the container l@ which may be cylindrical in shape and which is adapted to store within it fluid such as ink to be pumped. The container has a circular opening l2 in its upper surface and this surface is covered by a circular lid ld. Lid ld has a downturned outer flange ld extending about the outside of the container and the lid generally keeps fluid in the tank from being splattered or otherwise ejected from the container through opening l2.

Mounted on the lid is a mounting base 29 which is circular in shape and which is permanently secu-red to the lid. rhis mounting base includes a lower member 22 fitted within the container and an upper member 24 both circular in shape and coaxially mounted by suitable bolts t-o one another. These base members may be of cast iron or the like which is sufficiently strong to support the Iemainder of the assembly.

Suspended from the lower member 22 is the pump structure 26. This pump structure includes an outer tubular protecting column 2, the lower end of which is secured to the top of the pump housing 30. Within pump housing Si?, there is rotatably mounted a centrifugal impeller 32. This impeller when rotated, drives fluid radially for flow up the discharge tube 34 which extends from pump housing 3G upwardly through a suitable opening 36 in the lid for connection to the mechanism (not shown) in which the iluid is to be used. lrnpeller 32 is rotatably connected to pump shaft 3S which extends coaximly with-` in vertically disposed tubular protecting column 2S. The irnpeller is connected adjacent the bottom end of pump shaft 33. The bottom end itl of shaft 38is threaded `below the impeller to accommodate a holding nut 42 abutting against the bottom of the impeller, locking the impeller to the shaft. Shaft 38 has a helical spring 44 fitted about the shaft and compressed between the top surface of impeller 32 and a suitable shoulder 46 on the shaft 38 to facilitate the mounting of the impeller on the shaft.

Pump shaft 33 extends vertically within tubular protecting column 23 and is pinned or otherwise connected in a permanent manner to a socket S2 Within mounting base 20. Within the socket the pump shaft is permanently connected to a drive shaft 54 which extends vertically through a clearance opening 55 in mounting base Ztl and continues its vertical extent axially through a drive motor 56. The socket connection allows a limited amount of relative movement of the shaft 54 both axially and gyrationally. The uppermost end 58 of drive shaft 54 is threaded and has opposed dats for coupling .the drive shaft to the motor as will be described more fully.

The upper base member 2e as shown best in FIGURES 3, and 6 is circular in shape and mounted to the top surface of lid 14. This member 24 which may be a unitary casting, comprises a lower plate 62 resting on the lid and an upper plate 64 spaced from the lower plate by integral :reinforcing beams 66. These reinforcing beams are concentrically positioned within the upper base member and are spaced adjacent the base member periphery. Angularly spaced from these beams are two motor mounting members 7G which are mutually spaced apart by 180 degrees. Each member includes a stud 72, the upper section of which is threaded. The lower section of each 'stud is unthreaded, and lits ywithin a clearance opening 74 in the lower plate 62. Each lower section is hollowed to receive a compression spring 75 bottoming against a lower wall of the opening, with the spring urging the stud upwardly through clearance opening 76 past the top surface of the upper plate 64. About the center of the stud there is axed by any suitable means such as by set screw, a large knurled thumb knob 73 the diameter of which is considerably greater than the diameter of the adjacent opening '76. A compr-essible rubber bellows 79 protectively encloses the lower section of the stud between the knob and the Vtop surface of plate 62. Spaced at 90 degrees from each of the members 74P about the periphery of the top plate 64 are two locating holes Sil.

The drive motor 56 is cylindrical in shape with its circumferenoe virtually the same size as the circumference of upper mounting base plate 64. This motor has a central tubular opening 82 extending axially through i-t and about this -opening the motor has a tubular drive shaft 84. Opening 82 is sutlciently large to allow pump `drive shaft 54 to freely extend therethrough without interference of the drive shaft with rota-tion of motor shaft 84. In its lower surface 86, motor S6 includes two spaced apart locating pins 8S protruding from the surface and positioned to tit within locating holes 89 to guide the motor Vinto the proper alignment on mounting base 29. Lower surface 86 of the Vmotor further includes two spaced apart tapped openings 90 each positioned to receive in a mating and locking relationship the upper end of a stud 72. In connecting the motor to base 2b, pins 8S are tted within locating holes Si) to position the motor on the mounting base and studs 72 are tightened into a locking engagement lwith tapped holes 90 by manual tightening of the thumb knobs 7S. The knob tighten against the upper plate 64 of the mounting base and lock the motor S6 t0 the base 20.

To drivingly couple the drive shaft 54 to the motor shaft Sd there is utilized a readily detachable upper end coupling 92 (shown best in FIGURE 2) which will now be described. This upper end 94 of the motor shaft terminates a short distance below the threaded end 58 of drive shaft 54. At its upper end 94, motor shaft 84 has formed or cut therein a diametric slot 26 of limited depth. An internally fiatted driving tube 1% of approximately the same diameter as motor shaft 84 is fitted on shaft end 94 and this tube has downwardly directed driving detent arms 102 shaped to fit within slot 96. To lock the coupling of shafts 54 and 84 together, a knurled knob 104 tapped interiorly to receive shaft threaded end 5S is fitted over drive shaft 54 and tightened down on tube 169 to lock the positive connection between the atted,

threaded shaft end 58 and the internally flatted tube 100.V

The interior of knob 104 is recessed with an opening 106 in its bottom surface, this opening being in communication with an interior tapped opening 10S in knob 104, the tapped opening sized to receive threaded shaft end 58.

With the coupling construction set out, once the motor has been mounted on base 20 and tightened thereon by mounting members 70, the driving tube is fitted on drive shaft S4 and the detent arms 162 are mated with slot 96. The knurled knob is then tightened on the threaded, flatted end 5S of drive shaft 54 until the inner shoulder which forms the upper surface of recessed opening 195 bears against the top of driving tube 100 tightening against it. This tightening action tends to raise drive shaft 54 and thereby also raises pump shaft 38 an amount limited by the axial movement permitted by socket 52. Finally, knob 164 is tightened sufficiently to lock the posi- Vtive driving relation between the two shafts 54 and 84.

A suitably cup-shaped safety cup 112 may lit over handle 194 and be held frctionally by a suitable shoulder on the motor upper surface for the purpose of protecting the threaded coupling from the effects of uids.

To utilize the lifting effect on the shafts resulting from the tightened shaft coupling, drive shaft 54 has secured about it a series of deector plates (shown best in FIG- URES 3, 5 and 6) adjacent the upper plate 64 of mounting base 20. The lowest or" these circuar deector plates may be fabricated of material such as Teflon or other suitable compliant material which will not be readily corroded. Deflector plate 12d may rest on a suitable shoulder on the drive shaft 54.and has spaced thereabove a second disc or circular plate 122 which may `be metal. These circular plates are considerably greater in circumference than the circumference of shaft opening 82 in the bottom of motor 56 and motor shaft 84. These washers or plates will ride up with shaft 54 on tightening of the drive coupling to a position adjacent the bottom of motor 56 and will deect all randomly spattered ink solvent or fumes from reaching the mot-or shaft and bearings internal to the drive motor. Thus, tightening of the coupling positions these deflector plates adjacent the bottom opening in motor 56 and thereafter these plates will guard the motor interior from the intrusion of contaminants.' iFrom the foregoing explanation it can be seen motor 56 is connected to the pump assembly by manually operable members such as mounting members 7 t) and coupling members 92. To detach the motor, knob 104 is loosened and removed along with driver tube 190 once safety cap 112 has been removed.Y This release allows shaft 54 to drop a short distance up to the amount limited within socket 52. A suitable thread protector 124 which is internally'tappcd may be screwed on to threaded end 58 to prevent thread damage in handling. Next, thumb knobs 78 are loosened to loosen the mounting to base 2() and motor 56 may be liftedA vertically up drive shaft 54 until opening 82 clears the threaded top of shaft 54. Handle 126 is connected to suitable motor secured brackets 128 to allow the motor to be carried away easily.

' For handling of the pump assembly and container once the motor has been removed, a tubular protector 130 (shown best in FIGURE 4) is placed on the mounting base. The bottom part of this protector has a frame 132 which may be a metal casting the bottom surface of which is congured similarly to bottom surface 85 of motor 56. Thus frame 132 has locating pins (not shown) registering with locating openings 8% and tapped holes 134 shaped to receive in locking engagement studs '72. Frame 132 naturally has a central opening 136 suiliciently large to freely accommodate drive shaft 5d. Extending rigidly upwardly from the frame 132 and secured the-reto is an outer tube 13S extending vertically past the top of the drive shaft. This tube of sheet metal or the like surrounds the shaft with sufhcient clearance distance so that the tube does not come into contact with threaded end 5S of the drive shaft. Optionally as shown in FIGURE 4, thread protector 124i is screw onto to threaded end 5S to additionally protect those threads from damage. Secured to the upper portion of tube 133 is a configured carrying handle 142 which is shaped to allow the handle to be grasped for carrying the pump assembly and container.

When the motor is to be replaced on the pump assembly following pump cleaning, protector i353 is removed by loosening mounting members 7l) and removing the protector 136 upwardly to clear shaft 5d. Motor 55 is raised above the drive shaft 54. and slipped over the shaft. The motor is lowered until locating pins 38 contact the upper surface of plate 64. The motor is rotated slowly until the pins register with locating openings 8f3 in mounting base 2d and the motor is lowered to rest on base 26. Thus the only alignment necessary in this mounting lis the angular movement of the motor leading to registry of the locating pins and locating holes. Studs 72 are then tightened manually by thumb knobs 7S to lock the motor on the bas-e securely. Thread protector i12-fi is then removed and coupling 92 is secured in place with tube lila? and knurled knob idd. Knob 164 is tightened raising the shaft and delector plates and the completed assembly is ready for use.

While there has been described what is at present thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that modifications may be made therein and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Portable pumping apparatus comprising a container adapted to bear iluid, a lid therefor, a pump suspended from the underside of Said lid for positioning within the container below a fluid level when the lid is in a closed position, a drive shaft extending from the pump through the container lid, a base member mounted on said lid, means connecting said base member to a drive motor, a drive shaft on said motor adapted to be coupled to said pump drive shaft, said connecting means including a plurality of readily disconnectible linkages for releasing the connection of the drive motor to said base member on manual manipulation thereof for diassociation of the drive motor therewith, a container carrying member, means in said carrying member receptive of said disconnectible linkages to secure said carrying member to said base member, a hollow tube in said carrying member extending beyond the end of said pump drive shaft to fully accommodate therein said pump drive shaft in an enclosed manner, and a carrying handle on said carrying member to allow said container to be lifted and carried about.

2. Portable pumping apparatus comprising a container, a lid therefor, a pump suspended from the underside of the lid for positioning said pump within the container below the fluid level when the lid is in the closed position, a base member mounted on said lid, a drive shaft extending from said pump through the container lid and through the base member, a motor mounted on said base member with the motor drive axis coaxial to the drive shaft of said pump, a hollow rotatable drive shaft in said motor accommodating therein said pump shaft, means coupling said motor shaft with said pump shaft for joint rotation, said coupling means including a tightening member connected to said pump shaft for drawing said pump shaft axially through said motor shaft during said connection, and guard means responsive to the axial drawing of said pump shaft for movement therewith to a position adjacent said motor shaft to deect liquid ejected from said container from said motor shaft.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which said guard means comprises a plurality of annular spaced plates mounted on said pump drive shaft and movable therewith axially and rotatably.

4i. A portable pumping apparatus for use in a container having a lid comprising, in combination, an upper base member positioned on the upper side of the lid, a lower base member positioned adjacent to the lower side of the lid and fixed to the upper base member to fix said members to the lid, a pump supported by the lower base member and being positionable iu the container, a motor removably mounted on said upper base member, a plurality of studs mounted in the upper base member and threadedly engagable with the motor to secure releasably the motor to the upper base member, said motor having a hollow rotatable drive shaft, a pump drive shaft drivingly connected to the pump and rotatably extending through the lid and through the hollow rotatable drive shaft, and a connector positioned adjacent to the motor ou the side opposite the pump engaging the pump drive shaft and the hollow rotatable drive shaft for releasa'oly connecting said shafts.

5, A portable pumping apparatus for use in a container having a lid comprising, in combination, an upper base member positioned on the upper side of the lid, a lower base member positioned adjacent to the lower side of the lid and fixed to the upper base member to tix said members to the lid, a pump supported by the lower base member and being positiouable in the container, a motor removably mounted on said upper base member, a plurality of studs mounted in the upper base member and threadedly engageable with the motor to secure removably the motor to the upper base member, a knob secured to each of the studs for manipulating the respective studs, said motor having a hollow rotatable drive shaft, a pump drive shaft having one end drivingly connected to the pump and the other end extending through the lid and through the hollow rotatable drive shaft, said pump drive shaft having a flattened portion on the end extending through the hollow rotatable drive shaft, a detent mounted on the attened portion of the pump drive shaft and drivingly engagable with the hollow rotatable drive shaft to provide a driving connection between the shafts, and a cap mounted on the pump drive shaft for holding the detent in driving connection with the hollow rotatable drive shaft, whereby the motor is readily disengagable from the pump by removal of the cap and the detent to disenvage the shafts, and the studs are disengaged from the motor to release the motor from the upper base member.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,293 10/33 Valentine 222-385 X 2,784,876 3/57 Parkes 222-285 X 3,666,837 12/62 Griffith et al 222-385 LOUS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, EVERETT W. KIRBY,

Examiners. 

2. PORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONTAINER, A LID THEREFOR, A PUMP SUSPENDED FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LID FOR POSITIONING SAID PUMP WITHIN THE CONTAINER BELOW THE FLUID LEVEL WITH THE LID IS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, A BASE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID LID, A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING FROM SAID PUMP THROUGH THE CONTAINER LID AND THROUGH THE BASE MEMBER, A MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID BASE MEMBER WITH THE MOTOR DRIVE AXIS COAXIAL TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF SAID PUMP, A HOLLOW ROTATABLE DRIVE SHAFT IN SAID MOTOR ACCOMMODATING THEREIN SAID PUMP SHAFT, MEANS COUPLING SAID MOTOR SHAFT WITH SAID PUMP SHAFT FOR JOINT ROTATION, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A TIGHTENING MEM-BER CONNECTED TO SAID PUMP SHAFT FOR DRAWING SAID PUMP SHAFT AXIALLY THROUGH SAID MOTOR SHAFT DURING SAID CONNECTION, AND GUARD MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE AXIAL DRAWING OF SAID PUMP SHAFT FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID MOTOR SHAFT TO DEFLECT LIQUID EJECTED FROM SAID CONTAINER FROM SAID MOTOR SHAFT. 